I've tried really hard to stick with my goal of posting every day during the NaBloPoMo November challenge, but sometimes living life makes things too busy to blog about it!
There simply was no time to blog yesterday. I came home from work and played with Bradley for 30 minutes before dashing out the door again to meet Rhonda. We had a fun girls' night planned, and everything about the evening had our early twenties written all over it! We met at the Brentwood Waffle House, which is where we girls used to always meet up and carpool to whichever downtown destination we were headed. Last night a local Nashville singer/songwriter Andy Davis was doing a show of only his old songs at the Curb Cafe on Belmont's campus. This was perfect for Rhonda and me, since we really only like his old stuff anyways!
I observed the mostly collegiate crowd and reminisced on all the concerts and shows I used to go to in my younger days, but then would look at the time on my phone and was brought back to the present by wondering what Bradley was up to, and judging by the time, wonder if he was in bed yet.
The set list was just what we wanted to hear, and the commentary from Andy about the songs and how they came to be made me appreciate them even more. Oh- did I mention the show was free?? That made it all the more appealing of an event! The time before and after the concert was perfect for me and Rhonda Lu to catch up on life, and we went and grabbed sushi at a place called Zumi in Hillsboro Village after Rhonda tweeted to find out where a good sushi place nearby was, and her friends responded. Isn't technology amazing?
Zumi did not disappoint. Since I don't eat fish or any seafood, I am always on the lookout for sushi places with chicken options, and the spicy chic" roll that I tried was flavorful and had a nice little kick to it that I was washing down with iced tea long after I'd finished the roll. Rhonda got one called the Firecracker that had shrimp and crab meat, which I obviously was not tasting, but it looked pretty, and Rhonda said was very good. We laughed about the random chair, and the bottle of Oil of Olay in the women's bathroom, finished our sushi and iced tea, shivering all the while, and called it a night around 10 o'clock; she, back to her hubby Joe, and me, back to my Kentucky Wildcats.
I got home just in time for the second half of Kentucky's ball game, but after getting ready for bed and snuggling up on the couch to watch the game, there was no time left for blogging, reading Corinthians, or Harry Potter, so I've had a lot of catching up to do today! I didn't even make it to the end of the basketball game. I was falling asleep with 6 minutes to go, so I trudged upstairs and called it a night.
Showing posts with label concerts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concerts. Show all posts
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Carried away
Wednesday night Ann and I went to the Pensacola civic center to see Carrie Underwood. I hadn't been a to a concert in forever, and this one did not disappoint. We had a great time, had awesome seats, and had friends there to hang out with in between acts.
Sons of Sylvia was the opening act. 3 Brothers, whose real-life mom's name is Sylvia. Duh. When I took one look at the skinny-panted-doc-marten-clad Emo kids though, and I heard the loud blaring guitars, I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore... or a country music concert. The lead singer has "Edward" coiffed hair (Ann, the Twi-hard agreed wholeheartedly), and excepting one musical interlude (shown in below photo) where the brothers Sylvia proved they had some backwoods bluegrass roots, the rest of their performance was rock-heavy.
Speaking of rock, the bass player for the next act looked like he mistakenly got off the Def Leppard bus, and onto Craig Morgan's by mistake. He even "rocked out" a few times, banging his 80s hair with the music.
And what does middle-act Craig Morgan look like, you might wonder? Though I recognized almost every one of his songs that night, I couldn't have picked this Cheatham County High School graduate out of a line up if my life depended on it! Neither could these crowd members either I'd bet, if the spotlight hadn't followed Morgan up to the stands! This guy was good as far as middle-acts go, but I don't think he has the charisma, charm, looks, or voice, to make it to the top billing.
This set and dress was very reminiscent of the Dixie Chicks to me. Carrie looked every bit the southern bell with her full skirt as she sang from the big swing.
Another "what was he thinking" member of the bands tonight was Carrie's guitar/banjo player, who was channeling the Mad Hatter. Interesting. For a pre-concert, That Ain't Right caught on film, click Here.
Finally, our glam girl finished the evening with "Before He Cheats," the song I had been humming in my head all day getting ready for the concert. I was pleasantly surprised with how good Carrie Underwood sounded live. Her show was visually interesting, and she was sweet as she could be, besides sounding exactly like she does on her records. It made for a fantastic girl's night out.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Handel-ing Things
Saturday was my first performance with the Pensacola Choral Society. It's P-cola's version of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, but it's apparent we aren't in Nashville anymore Toto!
Every Monday night I go to rehearsals while Brian watches Bradley and somehow manages to get more housework done in 3 hours than I do all week sometimes. Every Monday I begrudgingly go, knowing I'll have fun and enjoy singing once I get there (I did this most Mondays in Nashville too, to be fair), and every Monday while I sit in the choir room of Pensacola Junior College, I think about Dr. Mabry, director of the NSC, and all the hard work we put into Handel's Messiah last year. And then I snap back into reality and look around at the much smaller, less talented, and much older chorus in Pensacola, and I wallow in self pity for a minute and think how much difference a year can make.
A year ago I was pregnant with Bradley. I sang in a brand new, state-of-the-art Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, with a professional chorus, and I sang my butt off and perfected every nuance of Handel's masterpiece with fierce concentration, an abundance of joy, and a proud appreciation for what we as a choir, and I as a singer, had accomplished.
This year Bradley is 6 months old. Saturday night I sang in a church gymnasium with plastic folding chairs for the audience. I dreaded the concert, embarrassed at how amateur our performance was going to be. And I wallowed in a good amount of self-pity as I drove the 45 minutes out to BFE where the concert was held.
But you know what? Handel's Messiah is still Handel's Messiah no matter where it's performed. And sure there were mistakes made all over the place; we sang at one volume level the entire time: forte, and our pitch was less than perfect, but as much as I dreaded that concert, something miraculous happened that night. I sang with a joy and passion I have been lacking for longer than I can remember. My voice felt strong and clear, and I worshipped God through music paying more attention to the text than the notes! And when it was all said and done, I was glad I had sung.
To be certain, I miss Nashville for more reasons than I can count, the Symphony Chorus being one of them, but I am still pleasantly surprised when I find reasons to be happy here too.
An added bonus to Saturday was that Ann, Jim, Jesse, Brian, and Bradley were all there to hear me sing, and Bradley loved the concert! He stayed awake the entire time, and bounced on Ann's lap to the music. Maybe he recognized the music from last year's in utero hearing?
Every Monday night I go to rehearsals while Brian watches Bradley and somehow manages to get more housework done in 3 hours than I do all week sometimes. Every Monday I begrudgingly go, knowing I'll have fun and enjoy singing once I get there (I did this most Mondays in Nashville too, to be fair), and every Monday while I sit in the choir room of Pensacola Junior College, I think about Dr. Mabry, director of the NSC, and all the hard work we put into Handel's Messiah last year. And then I snap back into reality and look around at the much smaller, less talented, and much older chorus in Pensacola, and I wallow in self pity for a minute and think how much difference a year can make.
A year ago I was pregnant with Bradley. I sang in a brand new, state-of-the-art Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, with a professional chorus, and I sang my butt off and perfected every nuance of Handel's masterpiece with fierce concentration, an abundance of joy, and a proud appreciation for what we as a choir, and I as a singer, had accomplished.
This year Bradley is 6 months old. Saturday night I sang in a church gymnasium with plastic folding chairs for the audience. I dreaded the concert, embarrassed at how amateur our performance was going to be. And I wallowed in a good amount of self-pity as I drove the 45 minutes out to BFE where the concert was held.
But you know what? Handel's Messiah is still Handel's Messiah no matter where it's performed. And sure there were mistakes made all over the place; we sang at one volume level the entire time: forte, and our pitch was less than perfect, but as much as I dreaded that concert, something miraculous happened that night. I sang with a joy and passion I have been lacking for longer than I can remember. My voice felt strong and clear, and I worshipped God through music paying more attention to the text than the notes! And when it was all said and done, I was glad I had sung.
To be certain, I miss Nashville for more reasons than I can count, the Symphony Chorus being one of them, but I am still pleasantly surprised when I find reasons to be happy here too.
An added bonus to Saturday was that Ann, Jim, Jesse, Brian, and Bradley were all there to hear me sing, and Bradley loved the concert! He stayed awake the entire time, and bounced on Ann's lap to the music. Maybe he recognized the music from last year's in utero hearing?
Friday, December 14, 2007
"The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ"
It's been a while for a concert review on here (I blame Starwood's demise that put a drudge on the usual hopping summer concert fare in Nashville). But last night I made my way to the famous Ryman auditorium (notice there's no 'h' in Ryman, Amy!) with some gal pals to experience Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb concert. This is a show he's done the past 10 years, and titled after the album with the same name, that's quite simply, the Christmas story told in music.
Christian music artist Andrew Peterson gathers his best industry pals, singer-songwriters
, and talented musicians, and puts them all on one stage together to perform the entire album of Behold the Lamb continuously without stopping between songs. The musicians and singers transitioned seamlessly from instrument to instrument between songs with a performing ensemble as few as 3 or as many as 19. I felt so sorry for the live sound engineers as I could not imagine the work it must take for such a large and diverse group of instruments and singers to produce a cohesive sound, but somehow it worked- even with 4 percussionists (who ever heard of such a thing?!), 5 string players, guitars, mandolin, keyboards, and singers abounding.
Peterson's story in song starts with the old testament and the Israelites, and moves through the birth, life, and Resurrection of Christ to show how the whole Bible is about Jesus, not just the new testament. The humorous little ditty Matthew's Begats takes you through the genealogy most of us skip through at the beginning of Matthew's gospel. And Labor of Love, a song about the actual birth of Christ, performed by husband and wife duo Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn painted a realistic picture of the birth of Jesus in a beautiful way that only a husband and wife can do. With the entire cast on stage for the reprise and finale, they concluded the concert with an a capella O Come All ye Faithful, had the audience join in, and then casually left the stage, leaving the crowd to finish the carol in perfect harmony, like only a Nashville audience can do! It was a breathtaking way to end the evening.
My only disappointment was that this part of the concert flew by way too fast! I would have preferred an abbreviated "writers-in-the-round" first half, and additional songs inserted into the second half. I have several friends who attend this show every year, and now I know why! If this tour stops by your neck of the woods, make it a priority to attend. It's an interesting spin on hearing the Christmas story, and you'll be introduced to an all-star cast of Christian musicians.
Christian music artist Andrew Peterson gathers his best industry pals, singer-songwriters
, and talented musicians, and puts them all on one stage together to perform the entire album of Behold the Lamb continuously without stopping between songs. The musicians and singers transitioned seamlessly from instrument to instrument between songs with a performing ensemble as few as 3 or as many as 19. I felt so sorry for the live sound engineers as I could not imagine the work it must take for such a large and diverse group of instruments and singers to produce a cohesive sound, but somehow it worked- even with 4 percussionists (who ever heard of such a thing?!), 5 string players, guitars, mandolin, keyboards, and singers abounding.Peterson's story in song starts with the old testament and the Israelites, and moves through the birth, life, and Resurrection of Christ to show how the whole Bible is about Jesus, not just the new testament. The humorous little ditty Matthew's Begats takes you through the genealogy most of us skip through at the beginning of Matthew's gospel. And Labor of Love, a song about the actual birth of Christ, performed by husband and wife duo Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn painted a realistic picture of the birth of Jesus in a beautiful way that only a husband and wife can do. With the entire cast on stage for the reprise and finale, they concluded the concert with an a capella O Come All ye Faithful, had the audience join in, and then casually left the stage, leaving the crowd to finish the carol in perfect harmony, like only a Nashville audience can do! It was a breathtaking way to end the evening.
My only disappointment was that this part of the concert flew by way too fast! I would have preferred an abbreviated "writers-in-the-round" first half, and additional songs inserted into the second half. I have several friends who attend this show every year, and now I know why! If this tour stops by your neck of the woods, make it a priority to attend. It's an interesting spin on hearing the Christmas story, and you'll be introduced to an all-star cast of Christian musicians.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Corigliano is for the birds
My stint with American composer John Corigliano's Dylan Thomas Trilogy is finally over. And not a moment too soon. I am now free as a bird from atonal, "quasi 5/4" time signatures (and I quote from the piece), and random hissing and bird calls, and have never been so excited to move onto some straightforward Handel as I am now! We birds of a feather flocked together as members of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, committing to 9 nights in a row of rehearsing, performing, then recording Corigliano's work, and in between singing we would all discuss how much we hated the music. Recall back to the Phillip Glass piece we premiered last year... that music was a stretch, yet by the end of the final concert I was sad to see it go. Not so with Corigliano. I have at most grown to appreciate the work, but if I never sing it again it will be too soon. According to the Tennessean, At least one person liked it.
We finished recording early last night, and as they say, the early bird gets the worm, and she also gets to go home and decorate her pink Christmas tree!
We finished recording early last night, and as they say, the early bird gets the worm, and she also gets to go home and decorate her pink Christmas tree!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thirsty Thursday
Last night our family of four partook in the Thirsty Thursdays festivities at Nashville's Greer stadium. Everyone questioned me when I suggested we go right after work and get there when the gates opened at 5:30. Later on they were thanking me!
It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon, so Laura and I snagged one of the picnic tables up close to where the band was getting ready to start playing and got settled in with our brews. (Per Sarah Scott, the best deal dollar-per-ounce is to get 2 of the $2 medium-sized beers they offer, if you make a trip to a Thirty Thursday event) (I also might be easily persuaded to go back to another Thursday night game) We spotted a TAR- some poor guy had tucked his shirt into his underware and it was showing over the waistband over his shorts! For pre-game entertainment we enjoyed the sunshine and the music of Hillbilly Casino. They are a local rockabilly band and were actually very entertaining. They channeled the 50s in their look and even the style of instruments they played. The lead singer didn't play an instrument so instead he combed his greasy hair and danced all over the stage in his vintage shoes, and made witty quips in between songs. Unfortunately every song sounded pretty much the same, but they did do some Johnny Cash covers which got the onlookers into the music. Dad liked them so much that we got him his very own Hillbilly Casino cd and are planning on catching the band at one of their regular Nashville shows.
The Sounds game didn't start until 7pm, so we stayed out at the picnic tables with our drinks until after the first inning started. Mom was quietly drinking her water and getting antsy for her hot dog and coke and was ready to go into the stadium, so Laura remarked, Debbie over there needs to calm down. I gave her a questioning look and so she clarified, Debbie Downer! Well the name stuck! We referred to mom the rest of the night as Debbie or Deb and the more it annoyed her, the funnier it got!
It was a perfect night for a game, the Sounds won 7-4, and we got to have some fun family bonding time.
It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon, so Laura and I snagged one of the picnic tables up close to where the band was getting ready to start playing and got settled in with our brews. (Per Sarah Scott, the best deal dollar-per-ounce is to get 2 of the $2 medium-sized beers they offer, if you make a trip to a Thirty Thursday event) (I also might be easily persuaded to go back to another Thursday night game) We spotted a TAR- some poor guy had tucked his shirt into his underware and it was showing over the waistband over his shorts! For pre-game entertainment we enjoyed the sunshine and the music of Hillbilly Casino. They are a local rockabilly band and were actually very entertaining. They channeled the 50s in their look and even the style of instruments they played. The lead singer didn't play an instrument so instead he combed his greasy hair and danced all over the stage in his vintage shoes, and made witty quips in between songs. Unfortunately every song sounded pretty much the same, but they did do some Johnny Cash covers which got the onlookers into the music. Dad liked them so much that we got him his very own Hillbilly Casino cd and are planning on catching the band at one of their regular Nashville shows.
The Sounds game didn't start until 7pm, so we stayed out at the picnic tables with our drinks until after the first inning started. Mom was quietly drinking her water and getting antsy for her hot dog and coke and was ready to go into the stadium, so Laura remarked, Debbie over there needs to calm down. I gave her a questioning look and so she clarified, Debbie Downer! Well the name stuck! We referred to mom the rest of the night as Debbie or Deb and the more it annoyed her, the funnier it got!
It was a perfect night for a game, the Sounds won 7-4, and we got to have some fun family bonding time.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Spring Concert Series: 12th & Porter
Despite the fact that it's a Friday morning and I am tired and dragging, I am also very pumped! Why, you ask? (Besides the obvious reasons of course that the weekend is within my grasp) Because instead of performing in a show last night for the first time in many weeks, I got to GO to a show! I headed over to 12th & Porter last night for an evening of music with Aron Wright, Matthew Perryman Jones, and Jeremy Lister.
Aron opened the set. (yes, that's how he spells his name.) He caused me to wonder why in a town with so much talent was he sharing the stage with these 2 other guys. Aron channeled Damien Rice- very moody, whiney songs performed to effects-driven guitar and keyboard. Think Ross from Friends with "his sound" and that's what Aron reminded me of. Plus, if I wanted to hear a guy sing high like a girl, I'd see Justin Timberlake, and he'd at least be attractive & dancing. For Aron's last song, he accompanied himself on the ukulele and I fought back laughs. Were we really supposed to take him seriously?
MPJ was next and it has been a while since I've seen him play. He had a full band backing him last night and they sounded great. He also played a new song, I think it's called "Save you" that was really good. Matthew Perryman Jones is one of those artists for me where every song he plays is one of my favorites. His voice is steady and clear, and the lyrics are honest. He's playing in Nashville again soon, so I'd encourage any fellow music lovers to accompany me. I'd describe his music as mellow pop/rock.
Finally headlining the show last night was Jeremy Lister. He's an artist I've heard a lot about, but never seen play, even though he's in Nashville all the time. When he stepped onto the stage my jaw dropped. And not for the reason that you might think. I was left gaping at a man who, had I passed him on a street, I would have sworn was a woman. Everything about this person screamed femininity, even though he's a married man; from the v neck t shirt, the fitted jacket and skinny jeans, his rosy cheeks, long flipped out hair, and even the way he batted his eyelashes when he sang! The voice just did not match the body. Mason and I decided we could better picture Jeremy Lister in a Cher get-up singing "If I could turn back time!" That said, his music was awe
some. He has very catchy pop-rock tunes, and has been touted as being the next Matt Kearney, so he'll still be an indie type artist, but hover on being mainstream. Who knows though- he could certainly break into the market- his stuff is very commercial. My favorite song of his was "Half of Me" co-written and performed with another Nashville regular, Katie Herzig. The melody is haunting and the harmonies are great. I would definitely like to see Jeremy Lister again, and maybe going into the show a second time I won't have such a hard time looking at him and can just enjoy the music instead! (ps, yes, it's a terrible pic taken from my cell phone, but you get the idea!!)
Aron opened the set. (yes, that's how he spells his name.) He caused me to wonder why in a town with so much talent was he sharing the stage with these 2 other guys. Aron channeled Damien Rice- very moody, whiney songs performed to effects-driven guitar and keyboard. Think Ross from Friends with "his sound" and that's what Aron reminded me of. Plus, if I wanted to hear a guy sing high like a girl, I'd see Justin Timberlake, and he'd at least be attractive & dancing. For Aron's last song, he accompanied himself on the ukulele and I fought back laughs. Were we really supposed to take him seriously?
MPJ was next and it has been a while since I've seen him play. He had a full band backing him last night and they sounded great. He also played a new song, I think it's called "Save you" that was really good. Matthew Perryman Jones is one of those artists for me where every song he plays is one of my favorites. His voice is steady and clear, and the lyrics are honest. He's playing in Nashville again soon, so I'd encourage any fellow music lovers to accompany me. I'd describe his music as mellow pop/rock.
Finally headlining the show last night was Jeremy Lister. He's an artist I've heard a lot about, but never seen play, even though he's in Nashville all the time. When he stepped onto the stage my jaw dropped. And not for the reason that you might think. I was left gaping at a man who, had I passed him on a street, I would have sworn was a woman. Everything about this person screamed femininity, even though he's a married man; from the v neck t shirt, the fitted jacket and skinny jeans, his rosy cheeks, long flipped out hair, and even the way he batted his eyelashes when he sang! The voice just did not match the body. Mason and I decided we could better picture Jeremy Lister in a Cher get-up singing "If I could turn back time!" That said, his music was awe
some. He has very catchy pop-rock tunes, and has been touted as being the next Matt Kearney, so he'll still be an indie type artist, but hover on being mainstream. Who knows though- he could certainly break into the market- his stuff is very commercial. My favorite song of his was "Half of Me" co-written and performed with another Nashville regular, Katie Herzig. The melody is haunting and the harmonies are great. I would definitely like to see Jeremy Lister again, and maybe going into the show a second time I won't have such a hard time looking at him and can just enjoy the music instead! (ps, yes, it's a terrible pic taken from my cell phone, but you get the idea!!)Friday, March 30, 2007
a trip down aria lane
HMS Pinafore is well under way, and so far so good. Last night was our first night back after a break, and I could tell my own energy was lacking. A lot of little factors contributed to a not-so-stellar performance on my part. I didn't get a chance to really warm up my voice. I also didn't eat dinner, so I ate an apple backstage before my first entrance which is a little ways into the first act. At one point during my first song, I felt something fly out of my mouth and onto my lip- I quickly pressed my lips together to remove the foreign particle and realized in horror that a piece of apple had just shot out of my mouth. Hopefully, none of the auidence members caught this.
Seconds later, as I turned to go up stage and onto the platform, still while I am singing mind you, I was still so flustered at the apple incident that I didn't pull my dress up enough as I climbed the step, and I stepped on my dress, tripping myself! The chain reaction continued as I was so distracted at the fact that I had just stumbled, I took the first ending twice, changing the end of my aria completely. Then, as if that weren't enough, I tripped again on my dress a few minutes later as I was leaving the stage after my scene with the Captain! Grrr!
True, it could have been a much worse performance, because nothing disastrous happened, but I was disapointed in myself. Hopefully tonight will go more smoothly!
Seconds later, as I turned to go up stage and onto the platform, still while I am singing mind you, I was still so flustered at the apple incident that I didn't pull my dress up enough as I climbed the step, and I stepped on my dress, tripping myself! The chain reaction continued as I was so distracted at the fact that I had just stumbled, I took the first ending twice, changing the end of my aria completely. Then, as if that weren't enough, I tripped again on my dress a few minutes later as I was leaving the stage after my scene with the Captain! Grrr!
True, it could have been a much worse performance, because nothing disastrous happened, but I was disapointed in myself. Hopefully tonight will go more smoothly!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
a spontaneous, star-studded show
Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from an inside source that said Kenny Chesney was going to be playing a free concert at the Tin Roof. By the end of the day, KC had announced the show to his fan club, word spread around Nashville, and upon arriving at the "top secret" show at the Roof, there were 2 radio stations broadcasting live from outside the place, and the bar was full to capacity!
These are the fun things you get to experience when living in Music City, USA. Kenny Chesney threw himself a birthday party at the Tin Roof, and invited celebs and fans alike to come party with him. Mandy, Rhonda, and I got there late- around 9pm, and caught the last hour of the show, pushing our way through the crowd and ending up center stage about 5 rows back. Kenny was already 3 sheets to the wind by then, but it was a blast. He really is a very short guy- especially without the aid of the heighening cowboy hat! We got to see KC and the Moonshine Band share the stage with songwriter Brett James, and Kix Brooks, and earlier in the night, Kenny invited up songwriter Craig Wiseman, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, & Montgomery Gentry among others, and Tim & Faith were there for the shindig although they supposedly remained out of the limelight. Mandy was hoisted onto the shoulders of a guy she didn't know so she got a birds eye view of the stage, and got some great pictures with Rhonda's camera (the pic currently posted came from a phone, so I apologize for the quality of the photo).
Kenny closed his show with She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy, and off he went to the VIP area out back where all the celebs and other important people were mingling. We three were not considered VIPS, so we hung out in the bar with everybody else. The place started to clear out, and as I happened to look over by the bar, there stood one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Angie Aparo. Now we all know that I am notoriously unaware of my surroundings and am usually the last person to spot a famous person out in public, but how do you miss a 5'4" bald man?! I approached him and told him what a fan of his I was, and talked to him for a minute and came away glowing! Then I went back and found him a few minutes later and got Rhonda to take our picture together. Her camera battery died, so we had to settle for the cell phone pic again, which isn't the best quality, but dadgummit, I got to meet Angie Aparo! I'm still beaming!
Mandy, Rhonda Lu & I headed up the street to Dan McGuiness to round out the spontaneous girls' night out on the town.
These are the fun things you get to experience when living in Music City, USA. Kenny Chesney threw himself a birthday party at the Tin Roof, and invited celebs and fans alike to come party with him. Mandy, Rhonda, and I got there late- around 9pm, and caught the last hour of the show, pushing our way through the crowd and ending up center stage about 5 rows back. Kenny was already 3 sheets to the wind by then, but it was a blast. He really is a very short guy- especially without the aid of the heighening cowboy hat! We got to see KC and the Moonshine Band share the stage with songwriter Brett James, and Kix Brooks, and earlier in the night, Kenny invited up songwriter Craig Wiseman, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, & Montgomery Gentry among others, and Tim & Faith were there for the shindig although they supposedly remained out of the limelight. Mandy was hoisted onto the shoulders of a guy she didn't know so she got a birds eye view of the stage, and got some great pictures with Rhonda's camera (the pic currently posted came from a phone, so I apologize for the quality of the photo).Kenny closed his show with She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy, and off he went to the VIP area out back where all the celebs and other important people were mingling. We three were not considered VIPS, so we hung out in the bar with everybody else. The place started to clear out, and as I happened to look over by the bar, there stood one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Angie Aparo. Now we all know that I am notoriously unaware of my surroundings and am usually the last person to spot a famous person out in public, but how do you miss a 5'4" bald man?! I approached him and told him what a fan of his I was, and talked to him for a minute and came away glowing! Then I went back and found him a few minutes later and got Rhonda to take our picture together. Her camera battery died, so we had to settle for the cell phone pic again, which isn't the best quality, but dadgummit, I got to meet Angie Aparo! I'm still beaming!
Mandy, Rhonda Lu & I headed up the street to Dan McGuiness to round out the spontaneous girls' night out on the town.
Monday, February 19, 2007
weekend tid-bits
A nice low-key weekend has come and gone. (Today was still part of my weekend- call it a mental health day if you will). A few thoughts on the 3-day weekend:
The performances with the Nashville Symphony for the Philip Glass piece are over and done. I never thought I would say this, but I actually ended up liking the music a lot, and am sad because all that hard work and months of preparation, and I am 95% sure that i will never sing that obscure work ever again. Most of the choir never warmed up to the piece so I'm sure there were a lot of happy people once the final note had been played on Saturday. I am a self-proclaimed music geek though, so I was giddy at the fact that the composer was there, a man whom I first studied in Dr. Pen's music history class in college, a man whose music I hated, then grew to appreciate through film scores such as the Truman Show, the Hours, and then this choral work he composed for the Nashville Symphony. I even went to the lecture Philip Glass gave Saturday night and he talked about the process for composing a film score, an opera, and finally the Passion of the Ramakrishna, which was the new piece of his we were performing that night. To have a living legend of a modern American composer sitting in my midst I was, in a word, Starstruck.
Riddle me this: Nashville goes multiple days in a row where it doesn't get above the freezing temperature mark, yet when it decides to snow the better part of Saturday, it's all of sudden to warm for any of the snow to stick- what gives??!!
Vanderbilt beat Florida, and Joakim Noah got into a near-fist-fight with Vandy coach Kevin Stallings on the sideline-- I laughed my tail off! Especially humorous was when you could hear the Vandy crowd chanting "Noah Sucks" at the end of the game!
Then I sighed in frustration as my Wildcats lost their 3rd SEC game in a row to Alabama. We're not ranked anymore, and we're 3rd in the SEC east behind Florida and Vanderbilt. "Is it football season yet??"
My best-friend-Heather-from-home was in town this weekend. She, her sister Angie, and I hung out, watching the Departed (my second time to see it- man, I LOVE that movie!), we killed time in Sephora and I played with the makeup but did not purchase a single thing (major breakthrough!). Also, it is important to note that both of the new products I blogged about not too long ago on here were both front and center on the first tabel when you enter the store, I felt quite pleased that Sephora took my advice and featured these 2 items. :o)
Our blonde trio also went to see Music & Lyrics. I loved it. Angie hated it. Heather fell somewhere in between. To me, the opening sequence of the entire 80's-esque video of Hugh Grant's has-been 80's band POP was worth seeing the entire movie. The songs are catchy, I laughed a lot, and I left the movie theater after seeing a romantic comedy all warm and fuzzy and not depressed. Is it going to win an Oscar? Don't count on it, but if you are female, wanting to enjoy some feel-good, mindless entertainment, then this movie is for you. Except for Ari, who can't stand Drew Barrymore. It's unfortunate, since the movie revolves around music and songwriting, but you will hate this film if you can't put up with the leading lady. Sorry.
I am giddy because tonight was the first weeknight I've had in 3 weeks with nowhere to be. Tomorrow night promises more of the same, Hallelujah!
The performances with the Nashville Symphony for the Philip Glass piece are over and done. I never thought I would say this, but I actually ended up liking the music a lot, and am sad because all that hard work and months of preparation, and I am 95% sure that i will never sing that obscure work ever again. Most of the choir never warmed up to the piece so I'm sure there were a lot of happy people once the final note had been played on Saturday. I am a self-proclaimed music geek though, so I was giddy at the fact that the composer was there, a man whom I first studied in Dr. Pen's music history class in college, a man whose music I hated, then grew to appreciate through film scores such as the Truman Show, the Hours, and then this choral work he composed for the Nashville Symphony. I even went to the lecture Philip Glass gave Saturday night and he talked about the process for composing a film score, an opera, and finally the Passion of the Ramakrishna, which was the new piece of his we were performing that night. To have a living legend of a modern American composer sitting in my midst I was, in a word, Starstruck.
Riddle me this: Nashville goes multiple days in a row where it doesn't get above the freezing temperature mark, yet when it decides to snow the better part of Saturday, it's all of sudden to warm for any of the snow to stick- what gives??!!
Vanderbilt beat Florida, and Joakim Noah got into a near-fist-fight with Vandy coach Kevin Stallings on the sideline-- I laughed my tail off! Especially humorous was when you could hear the Vandy crowd chanting "Noah Sucks" at the end of the game!
Then I sighed in frustration as my Wildcats lost their 3rd SEC game in a row to Alabama. We're not ranked anymore, and we're 3rd in the SEC east behind Florida and Vanderbilt. "Is it football season yet??"
My best-friend-Heather-from-home was in town this weekend. She, her sister Angie, and I hung out, watching the Departed (my second time to see it- man, I LOVE that movie!), we killed time in Sephora and I played with the makeup but did not purchase a single thing (major breakthrough!). Also, it is important to note that both of the new products I blogged about not too long ago on here were both front and center on the first tabel when you enter the store, I felt quite pleased that Sephora took my advice and featured these 2 items. :o)
Our blonde trio also went to see Music & Lyrics. I loved it. Angie hated it. Heather fell somewhere in between. To me, the opening sequence of the entire 80's-esque video of Hugh Grant's has-been 80's band POP was worth seeing the entire movie. The songs are catchy, I laughed a lot, and I left the movie theater after seeing a romantic comedy all warm and fuzzy and not depressed. Is it going to win an Oscar? Don't count on it, but if you are female, wanting to enjoy some feel-good, mindless entertainment, then this movie is for you. Except for Ari, who can't stand Drew Barrymore. It's unfortunate, since the movie revolves around music and songwriting, but you will hate this film if you can't put up with the leading lady. Sorry.
I am giddy because tonight was the first weeknight I've had in 3 weeks with nowhere to be. Tomorrow night promises more of the same, Hallelujah!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Where in the world is Amanda SanDiego?
She's been enjoying the 70 degree late November weather...
Nothing helps me get in the Christmas spirit better than to drive down the road listening to Christmas music with the windows down! Me and the Roommates are decorating our place for Christmas tonight, putting up the tree, cooking dinner and watching The Office & Gray's Anatomy together. It should be a fun night, and is (correct me if I'm wrong) our first planned event together at the apartment since we moved in 3 months ago (Daaannng Gina, we are busy girls!)
She has been working like a mad woman...
New job responsibilities and a shifting tide in the office environment have forced me to limit the blogging and emailing and focus on (shocker) work. Plus due to the nature of my hectic schedule and the still obstintate laptop & internet, it's been difficult to manage my Domain at nighttime too.
She has enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, full of Family, Food, Football, & Shopping (sory, I couldn't find an F synonym that pleased me!)...
It was a whirlwind weekend- Laura & I drove up to Cannelton last Wednesday night and met mom & dad and The Boys who were already there with my Papa. That night we did kareoke at the Pumper- where else? (Pumper? I don't even KNOW 'er) I sang "When You Say Nothing At All" and "Rocky Top," which both turned out to be real crowd pleasers! Ryan & Matt sang their rendition of "the Wheels on the Short Bus go round and round, all through Bucktown!" And I have plenty of pictures of Jerry dancing to "Go Jerry (Johnny) Go." Eric, I am mentioning you because last time you got mad at me for not posting anything about you!
Thanksgiving we ate so early that I wasn't even hungry yet, so I did what every American did that day- I shoveled the food in anyways! In keeping with last year's TAR tradition, the Publix pilgrim salt & pepper shakers were put in various compromising positions, and every time mom would catch them in the act, she would sit them upright again, only to discover another lewd pose just moments later. My uncle Michael called us in the middle of dinner to announce the big news that they are expecting baby Number 3 (I think Missy is hoping for a little DZ legacy since her other 2 are boys)! This also makes 16 first cousins on that side of the family now!
Friday we got home early and mom, dad, and I boarded one of 5 fan busses to Memphis for the Ravenwood-White Station playoff game. Ravenwood won and will thus be playing for the state title for the second year in a row. "We believe."
Saturday was a disapoining loss by UK to an unimpressive UT football team. We are still waiting to see where Kentucky will play for their bowl game, and hopefully it will be played here in Nashvegas. I got a good start on my Christmas shopping and spent a relaxing evening at home watching a movie and unwinding from the weekend.
She finally got to see the Lion King, thanks to a nice birthday surprise...
I won't bore you with the details of the show- you can read MA and Emo's reviews since they were both enamoured of this play. I will say this- love, love, Loved the costumes, really enjoyed the new music for the score, and hated adult Symba. He wasn't loud enough, he over-enunciated, and came off very effiminate, despite his bulging muscles. He didn't come across at all as a powerful jungle king, but perhaps instead Queen of the Jungle Lounge. I was overall impressed with the magnitude of the show, and the costumes are what make it amazing, with people doubling as animals and dressing up to be part of the set. Ok, I said I wasn't going to bore you with details. I lied.
She has got her Christmas cheer now, and plans on blogging more frequently...
Seriously! Like finishing up LONG overdue blogs about DC, etc, and wishing Happy Birthdays to gal pals Heather, Lisa, & Lana, all who have had birthdays in the past week!
Nothing helps me get in the Christmas spirit better than to drive down the road listening to Christmas music with the windows down! Me and the Roommates are decorating our place for Christmas tonight, putting up the tree, cooking dinner and watching The Office & Gray's Anatomy together. It should be a fun night, and is (correct me if I'm wrong) our first planned event together at the apartment since we moved in 3 months ago (Daaannng Gina, we are busy girls!)
She has been working like a mad woman...
New job responsibilities and a shifting tide in the office environment have forced me to limit the blogging and emailing and focus on (shocker) work. Plus due to the nature of my hectic schedule and the still obstintate laptop & internet, it's been difficult to manage my Domain at nighttime too.
She has enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, full of Family, Food, Football, & Shopping (sory, I couldn't find an F synonym that pleased me!)...
It was a whirlwind weekend- Laura & I drove up to Cannelton last Wednesday night and met mom & dad and The Boys who were already there with my Papa. That night we did kareoke at the Pumper- where else? (Pumper? I don't even KNOW 'er) I sang "When You Say Nothing At All" and "Rocky Top," which both turned out to be real crowd pleasers! Ryan & Matt sang their rendition of "the Wheels on the Short Bus go round and round, all through Bucktown!" And I have plenty of pictures of Jerry dancing to "Go Jerry (Johnny) Go." Eric, I am mentioning you because last time you got mad at me for not posting anything about you!
Thanksgiving we ate so early that I wasn't even hungry yet, so I did what every American did that day- I shoveled the food in anyways! In keeping with last year's TAR tradition, the Publix pilgrim salt & pepper shakers were put in various compromising positions, and every time mom would catch them in the act, she would sit them upright again, only to discover another lewd pose just moments later. My uncle Michael called us in the middle of dinner to announce the big news that they are expecting baby Number 3 (I think Missy is hoping for a little DZ legacy since her other 2 are boys)! This also makes 16 first cousins on that side of the family now!
Friday we got home early and mom, dad, and I boarded one of 5 fan busses to Memphis for the Ravenwood-White Station playoff game. Ravenwood won and will thus be playing for the state title for the second year in a row. "We believe."
Saturday was a disapoining loss by UK to an unimpressive UT football team. We are still waiting to see where Kentucky will play for their bowl game, and hopefully it will be played here in Nashvegas. I got a good start on my Christmas shopping and spent a relaxing evening at home watching a movie and unwinding from the weekend.
She finally got to see the Lion King, thanks to a nice birthday surprise...
I won't bore you with the details of the show- you can read MA and Emo's reviews since they were both enamoured of this play. I will say this- love, love, Loved the costumes, really enjoyed the new music for the score, and hated adult Symba. He wasn't loud enough, he over-enunciated, and came off very effiminate, despite his bulging muscles. He didn't come across at all as a powerful jungle king, but perhaps instead Queen of the Jungle Lounge. I was overall impressed with the magnitude of the show, and the costumes are what make it amazing, with people doubling as animals and dressing up to be part of the set. Ok, I said I wasn't going to bore you with details. I lied.
She has got her Christmas cheer now, and plans on blogging more frequently...
Seriously! Like finishing up LONG overdue blogs about DC, etc, and wishing Happy Birthdays to gal pals Heather, Lisa, & Lana, all who have had birthdays in the past week!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Who will open? Sheryl Mayer and/or John Crow
Okay- time to do your best Louie Armstrong impression: "Whata Wonduhfuhl weekend!"
Friday night me, Rhonda, and Mandy went out to celebrate Mandy's recent promotion (don't I feel like SUCH the grown-up?!) and ate at a yummy mexican restaraunt and then went down to Broadway to the Second Fiddle and then next door to Robert's. The whole downtown area was overrun with U of L fans because they played MTSU that night. I got great pleasure out of doing the C-A-T-S cheer and asking loudly to no one in particular, "How bout those Wildcats?!" It sparked many a conversation!
Saturday- MOVING DAY!!! I have the greatest friends & co-workers in the world. Many of them pitched in without me having to beg too much, some volunteering their time without me ever having asked them to. Getting everything hauled from Chateau Bradley to the new apartment took hardly any time (PS- we need a Name That Apartment contest as we still don't have an official nickname. I like the Penthouse II aka The Deuce. Feel free to post comments with your own ideas.) So now I am officially "moved" even though the place is a wreck and I am seriously in need of some organization bins and baskets to make everything fit in my mousehole-of-a- bedroom.
Saturday night was a wedding for a girl I went to high school with. Held outdoors on the grounds of the Belle Meade Plantation, it was the perfect afternoon for a wedding, and I got to see a lot of old high school friends. The bride's gown was Vera Wang (I'll post pics soon of the whole weekend) and the bridesmaid were in chocolate brown dresses of their own choosing. After the sit down dinner and kareoke-driven reception, oh, and after savoring the best wedding & groom's cake I have ever eaten, all the BHS crew and their respective boyfriends/husbands (along with your truly, flyin' solo) hit up Tootsie's in our wedding garb. For old times sake we also make a 2am visit to the Brentwood Waff!
Sunday night was the highly anticipated John Mayer/Sheryl Crow concert. I have never laughed so hard in all my life for an extended amount of time, and it's a good thing Tadd was with us to keep me chuckling b/c it helped to keep me warm in the chilly October night air. JM opened and it was by far the worst performance of his I've seen. His energy was down, and as a result, so was the crowd's. His vocals were flat, and there weren't many memorable moments from his abbreviated set with the exception of annoucing to the audience that he was playing us a "blues prayer." Wow John. Deep. Sheryl Crow had a ton more energy and even though a third of the crowd left after JM's set, she gave a great performance. Some funny quotes from the evening include:
*I’m all about that
*You still munchin on that?
*Cataract, the feline capital of the Middle East
*Sheryl Crow eats gravel
*Flip that house, cat, etc.
*Prairie doggin'
*Emo Emu
*Lesbian mullets
*I’d like to tap that
I hope to get pictures on here soon, but I couldn't wait any longer to get the weekend review posted.
Friday night me, Rhonda, and Mandy went out to celebrate Mandy's recent promotion (don't I feel like SUCH the grown-up?!) and ate at a yummy mexican restaraunt and then went down to Broadway to the Second Fiddle and then next door to Robert's. The whole downtown area was overrun with U of L fans because they played MTSU that night. I got great pleasure out of doing the C-A-T-S cheer and asking loudly to no one in particular, "How bout those Wildcats?!" It sparked many a conversation!
Saturday- MOVING DAY!!! I have the greatest friends & co-workers in the world. Many of them pitched in without me having to beg too much, some volunteering their time without me ever having asked them to. Getting everything hauled from Chateau Bradley to the new apartment took hardly any time (PS- we need a Name That Apartment contest as we still don't have an official nickname. I like the Penthouse II aka The Deuce. Feel free to post comments with your own ideas.) So now I am officially "moved" even though the place is a wreck and I am seriously in need of some organization bins and baskets to make everything fit in my mousehole-of-a- bedroom.
Saturday night was a wedding for a girl I went to high school with. Held outdoors on the grounds of the Belle Meade Plantation, it was the perfect afternoon for a wedding, and I got to see a lot of old high school friends. The bride's gown was Vera Wang (I'll post pics soon of the whole weekend) and the bridesmaid were in chocolate brown dresses of their own choosing. After the sit down dinner and kareoke-driven reception, oh, and after savoring the best wedding & groom's cake I have ever eaten, all the BHS crew and their respective boyfriends/husbands (along with your truly, flyin' solo) hit up Tootsie's in our wedding garb. For old times sake we also make a 2am visit to the Brentwood Waff!
Sunday night was the highly anticipated John Mayer/Sheryl Crow concert. I have never laughed so hard in all my life for an extended amount of time, and it's a good thing Tadd was with us to keep me chuckling b/c it helped to keep me warm in the chilly October night air. JM opened and it was by far the worst performance of his I've seen. His energy was down, and as a result, so was the crowd's. His vocals were flat, and there weren't many memorable moments from his abbreviated set with the exception of annoucing to the audience that he was playing us a "blues prayer." Wow John. Deep. Sheryl Crow had a ton more energy and even though a third of the crowd left after JM's set, she gave a great performance. Some funny quotes from the evening include:
*I’m all about that
*You still munchin on that?
*Cataract, the feline capital of the Middle East
*Sheryl Crow eats gravel
*Flip that house, cat, etc.
*Prairie doggin'
*Emo Emu
*Lesbian mullets
*I’d like to tap that
I hope to get pictures on here soon, but I couldn't wait any longer to get the weekend review posted.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Playing ketchup
Call me Slacker McSlackerson, but I have really fallen behind on blogging. I guess I've been too busy with my new-found appreciation for Fall to bother with my customary music, movie, and weekend reviews. 90 degree weather in October is my favorite kind of Fall, and I will be enjoying my lunch out-of-doors today I do believe. (ps, not naming names, but I had a friend in college who once quit a job in order "to enjoy the fall.")
There's no way I can keep up with MA's lineup of concerts, but I too was in the big group of friends & acquaintances who went to see Nickel Creek at the Ryman Auditorium back on September 23rd (happy belated b-day FR). I didn't didn't rush to blog about this show because being the ever-harsh critic, I was disappointed with the show and was not transformed into the maniacal fan that I was hoping to become by the end of the evening. Overall Nickel Creek was far more mellow than I had expected them to be. I was hoping for a rollicking evening of foot-stomping bluegrass, but that was just not in the cards. The bright moments of the evening included their opening song (no idea the name of it) that featured tight 3-part harmonies standing around a single microphone, a fantastic rendition of Britney Spears' Toxic, and a movement from a Bach concerto performed as a solo encore on the Amanda Lynn by front man Chris Thile.
Back up several weeks to another show that I failed to document in cyberspace. I was privileged to see Angie Aparo play at 12th & Porter on September 8th. This was a show I have been waiting almost a year to see, since I wasn't able to make his last Nashville show all the way back in May. (Looking back at the way that May night turned out, I would have been better off going to see Angie that night instead of Logan's & Roberts!!) Maury introduced me to Angie's music and I have been a fan ever since. Angie has had most of his industry success as a writer (Faith Hill's Cry, Big & Rich's Big Time, and Cowboy Troy's I Play Chicken with the train to name a few)
but it's a shame because he has one of the most intense and unique voices I've ever heard. Short in stature, Angie makes up for it with his big personality and biting sarcasm on stage, keeping the audience laughing in between songs, and possesses the most controlled singing voice I've ever heard. As a singer I stood there in awe of his ability to carry out extremely long phrases and go from loud to soft volumes effortlessly. The other thing I love about Angie's music is that he has something to say in his music. They're not frivolous poppy songs, they're political statements, love epics, and many times controversial. Photo courtesy of Maury's camera phone. The stage was set up like an MTV unplugged stage, and it was a one-man-show that did not fail to disappoint. The man and his guitar know how to rock!
Finally, in the world of movies, I watched the single most
bizaare movie I've ever sat through this past week. It's called the Science of Sleep. The only real reason I wanted to see it was because my favorite Mexican actor (doesn't everyone have one of those?) Gael Garcia Bernal was starring in it, so I went into the theater not knowing much more about it. (Good thing too, or else I might not have gone!) The protagonist has trouble discerning dreams from reality, and so as a result, you as the audience do too! Think of it as an Indie "Eternal Sunshine." If I had rented this movie I doubt i would have finished the whole thing, but I'm still strangely glad I saw this film. If you like foreign art films, this bud's for you.
Coming next in the concert review series: John Mayer & Sheryl Crowe this Sunday night at Starwood Ampitheater
Coming next in the weekend reviews: the joys of moving
There's no way I can keep up with MA's lineup of concerts, but I too was in the big group of friends & acquaintances who went to see Nickel Creek at the Ryman Auditorium back on September 23rd (happy belated b-day FR). I didn't didn't rush to blog about this show because being the ever-harsh critic, I was disappointed with the show and was not transformed into the maniacal fan that I was hoping to become by the end of the evening. Overall Nickel Creek was far more mellow than I had expected them to be. I was hoping for a rollicking evening of foot-stomping bluegrass, but that was just not in the cards. The bright moments of the evening included their opening song (no idea the name of it) that featured tight 3-part harmonies standing around a single microphone, a fantastic rendition of Britney Spears' Toxic, and a movement from a Bach concerto performed as a solo encore on the Amanda Lynn by front man Chris Thile.
Back up several weeks to another show that I failed to document in cyberspace. I was privileged to see Angie Aparo play at 12th & Porter on September 8th. This was a show I have been waiting almost a year to see, since I wasn't able to make his last Nashville show all the way back in May. (Looking back at the way that May night turned out, I would have been better off going to see Angie that night instead of Logan's & Roberts!!) Maury introduced me to Angie's music and I have been a fan ever since. Angie has had most of his industry success as a writer (Faith Hill's Cry, Big & Rich's Big Time, and Cowboy Troy's I Play Chicken with the train to name a few)
but it's a shame because he has one of the most intense and unique voices I've ever heard. Short in stature, Angie makes up for it with his big personality and biting sarcasm on stage, keeping the audience laughing in between songs, and possesses the most controlled singing voice I've ever heard. As a singer I stood there in awe of his ability to carry out extremely long phrases and go from loud to soft volumes effortlessly. The other thing I love about Angie's music is that he has something to say in his music. They're not frivolous poppy songs, they're political statements, love epics, and many times controversial. Photo courtesy of Maury's camera phone. The stage was set up like an MTV unplugged stage, and it was a one-man-show that did not fail to disappoint. The man and his guitar know how to rock!Finally, in the world of movies, I watched the single most
bizaare movie I've ever sat through this past week. It's called the Science of Sleep. The only real reason I wanted to see it was because my favorite Mexican actor (doesn't everyone have one of those?) Gael Garcia Bernal was starring in it, so I went into the theater not knowing much more about it. (Good thing too, or else I might not have gone!) The protagonist has trouble discerning dreams from reality, and so as a result, you as the audience do too! Think of it as an Indie "Eternal Sunshine." If I had rented this movie I doubt i would have finished the whole thing, but I'm still strangely glad I saw this film. If you like foreign art films, this bud's for you.Coming next in the concert review series: John Mayer & Sheryl Crowe this Sunday night at Starwood Ampitheater
Coming next in the weekend reviews: the joys of moving
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
say it with me: SKER-mer-horn
Recently I have just undertaken an important new commitment in my life (settle down boys, she's still single). At least, I hope I will look back at this new beginning a long time from now and wonder why I didn't make this part of my post-college life in Nashville sooner.
Monday night was my first official rehearsal with the Nashville Symphony Chorus. It's a group of about 150 singers who come from all over Nashville with all different backgrounds, and come together to perform choral works in support of the Nashville Symphony. As you may or may not know, Nashville finally has joined the ranks of major cities across the world and built their very own Symphony Hall. (Named after famed conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn, who passed away just months before the Schermerhorn Symphony Center was complete.)
I got to see the hall for the first time on Sunday and it is absolutely magnificent. It's something you must see for yourself- the articles and pictures that have been all over the media here recently don't do it justice. I was able to step inside the empty concert hall, and then a few of us walked around the outside of the building, and in the warm sunshine of the picturesque afternoon, my heart swelled with pride at being a Nashvillian in the era that this stately building has been firmly planted in the heart of downtown Nashville.
As a new member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus my first performance will be Handel's Messiah this December. It's standard choral rep for any singer, but not a piece I have ever had the priveledge of singing before. So I get to rehearsal on Monday night in a room full of incredible singers, in front of an amazing conductor, and I feel like a fish out of water! It will take time and practice (hmm, apparently rehearsal is NOT the time to come in and learn your music- that should have been done ahead of time!) but I know I will land on my feet eventually and be just fine. A rehearsal environment like that breathes life into my weary soul. I have so missed that kind of intense musicianship and performance level. Through this ensemble I hope to get my voice back into shape, meet some new friends (hey, there were some pretty cute guys in there!), and broaden my mission field- more on that later.
Monday night was my first official rehearsal with the Nashville Symphony Chorus. It's a group of about 150 singers who come from all over Nashville with all different backgrounds, and come together to perform choral works in support of the Nashville Symphony. As you may or may not know, Nashville finally has joined the ranks of major cities across the world and built their very own Symphony Hall. (Named after famed conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn, who passed away just months before the Schermerhorn Symphony Center was complete.)
I got to see the hall for the first time on Sunday and it is absolutely magnificent. It's something you must see for yourself- the articles and pictures that have been all over the media here recently don't do it justice. I was able to step inside the empty concert hall, and then a few of us walked around the outside of the building, and in the warm sunshine of the picturesque afternoon, my heart swelled with pride at being a Nashvillian in the era that this stately building has been firmly planted in the heart of downtown Nashville.
As a new member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus my first performance will be Handel's Messiah this December. It's standard choral rep for any singer, but not a piece I have ever had the priveledge of singing before. So I get to rehearsal on Monday night in a room full of incredible singers, in front of an amazing conductor, and I feel like a fish out of water! It will take time and practice (hmm, apparently rehearsal is NOT the time to come in and learn your music- that should have been done ahead of time!) but I know I will land on my feet eventually and be just fine. A rehearsal environment like that breathes life into my weary soul. I have so missed that kind of intense musicianship and performance level. Through this ensemble I hope to get my voice back into shape, meet some new friends (hey, there were some pretty cute guys in there!), and broaden my mission field- more on that later.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Round Here, we don't play our hits
This summer has been quite the season of concert-going for yours truly. Life is dull right now otherwise- I have to have Something to write about I suppose, so I continue to make the sacrifice of time and financial resources in order to have interesting blogging material. Are you appreciating this?
Monday night's latest musical venture was the Goo Goo Dolls/ Counting Crows show at Starwood. This was one of the shows that I was able to get $10 lawn seats for, so even though I would probably not go see either of these bands if they played by themselves or with a lesser-known opening act, together, they were quite the bargain billing. MA, Mason, Maury, and I got cozy on Clifford the Big Red Blanket and enjoyed the warm August evening while we waited for the show to begin. Rhonda and Joe came walking up to where we were and plopped down and announced that they had gotten bumped from their 5th row seat tickets that Joe had scored from a friend in "the biz" (PS- everyone in Nashville is either in The Biz, pretends to be in The Biz, or knows someone who is in the Biz). We start to make fun of them and are pleased at the thought of having 2 more friends to join us on our spot on the blanket. Not so fast. They then inform us that they have actually been upgraded to the 2nd row. Then after our good natured whining about how unfair that is, Joe makes a quick phone call and suddenly he is in posession once again of the 2 5th row seats and lo and behold, MA and I find ourselves standing face to face with the 2 bands for the rest of the evening! We felt bad about leaving the 2 guys in the lawn to fend for themselves, but come on, when presented with front row seats (we worked our way to a spot in the very front), what's a gal to do?
MA and I rocked out right next to the stage with Rhonda and Joe who also made their way up there and we even made it onto the Jumbo Tron several times, each time, receiving text messages from various friends in the crowd with phrases like "u were on the big screen" and "I just saw you." Yeah, we pretty much felt like rockstars ourselves and were the envy of all our friends and aquaintences who saw us up there.
The Goo Goo Dolls opened and I can't say it was an earth-shattering performance. They played all of their hits and did a pretty good job of keeping the crowd involved. My biggest complaint would be letting their creepy dread-locked bassist singing 2 songs. He sang one that said something about "your mom called" in the chorus, to which I shouted above the music to MA, "yeah, your mom called. She said to stop singing." Unfortunately, creepy bassist could not hear me over the awful screeching he was doing. The sound wasn't great for the band, but it was a descent set.
My whole reason for wanting to go though was for the Counting Crows. They have really grown on me the past year or two since I got their greatest hits cd, Films About Ghosts. Unfortunately for the casual fan like me, they didn't play a lot of their well-known hits. For the fanatic fan, they got to hear some unusual musical offerings, but for the rest of us, we left unsatisfied and a little bored at times. There's only so many times Adam Duritz can jump onto the monitors and I get excited. The whole mood onstage for them was mellow, and while Adam's vocals were clear as ever, the short set and the previously mentioned absense of crowd favorite renditions left me leaving Starwood a bit disapointed.
Bummer that I'm going to have to miss the (i Heart) Dave Barnes & Andy Davis show this Saturday in Nashvegas, but I'll be kareoking it up in Bucktown this weekend, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to share.
Monday night's latest musical venture was the Goo Goo Dolls/ Counting Crows show at Starwood. This was one of the shows that I was able to get $10 lawn seats for, so even though I would probably not go see either of these bands if they played by themselves or with a lesser-known opening act, together, they were quite the bargain billing. MA, Mason, Maury, and I got cozy on Clifford the Big Red Blanket and enjoyed the warm August evening while we waited for the show to begin. Rhonda and Joe came walking up to where we were and plopped down and announced that they had gotten bumped from their 5th row seat tickets that Joe had scored from a friend in "the biz" (PS- everyone in Nashville is either in The Biz, pretends to be in The Biz, or knows someone who is in the Biz). We start to make fun of them and are pleased at the thought of having 2 more friends to join us on our spot on the blanket. Not so fast. They then inform us that they have actually been upgraded to the 2nd row. Then after our good natured whining about how unfair that is, Joe makes a quick phone call and suddenly he is in posession once again of the 2 5th row seats and lo and behold, MA and I find ourselves standing face to face with the 2 bands for the rest of the evening! We felt bad about leaving the 2 guys in the lawn to fend for themselves, but come on, when presented with front row seats (we worked our way to a spot in the very front), what's a gal to do?
MA and I rocked out right next to the stage with Rhonda and Joe who also made their way up there and we even made it onto the Jumbo Tron several times, each time, receiving text messages from various friends in the crowd with phrases like "u were on the big screen" and "I just saw you." Yeah, we pretty much felt like rockstars ourselves and were the envy of all our friends and aquaintences who saw us up there.
The Goo Goo Dolls opened and I can't say it was an earth-shattering performance. They played all of their hits and did a pretty good job of keeping the crowd involved. My biggest complaint would be letting their creepy dread-locked bassist singing 2 songs. He sang one that said something about "your mom called" in the chorus, to which I shouted above the music to MA, "yeah, your mom called. She said to stop singing." Unfortunately, creepy bassist could not hear me over the awful screeching he was doing. The sound wasn't great for the band, but it was a descent set.
My whole reason for wanting to go though was for the Counting Crows. They have really grown on me the past year or two since I got their greatest hits cd, Films About Ghosts. Unfortunately for the casual fan like me, they didn't play a lot of their well-known hits. For the fanatic fan, they got to hear some unusual musical offerings, but for the rest of us, we left unsatisfied and a little bored at times. There's only so many times Adam Duritz can jump onto the monitors and I get excited. The whole mood onstage for them was mellow, and while Adam's vocals were clear as ever, the short set and the previously mentioned absense of crowd favorite renditions left me leaving Starwood a bit disapointed.Bummer that I'm going to have to miss the (i Heart) Dave Barnes & Andy Davis show this Saturday in Nashvegas, but I'll be kareoking it up in Bucktown this weekend, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to share.
Friday, August 18, 2006
dmb, circa 2006
This year I swore it would be my last Dave Matthews concert. I’m going on 10 years of listening to their music, I’ve lost count of how many of his shows I’ve been to, and my interest in them is waning- or so I thought. Not so. While DMB may not be all over the radio anymore (when were they ever?), and are no longer the trendy “it” band that everyone is into (Coldplay has that honor now, I believe) It turns out that Dave Matthews just might be the Kiss, Greatful Dead, or Phish of my generation. We just can’t get enough DMB. He’s so much better live than his cds do him justice, and I know people who have seen way more of his shows than I have, and they continue to travel in droves to see him play the famous venues across America.
Lisa, Lana, Keeli, and myself hopped into Thomas the Avenger on Wednesday night and made our way out to Shady-och and the Starwood Ampitheater in just enough time to miss all of the opener (Pat Green- not mourning the loss on this one) but find a group of Lisa’s college friends in the top center of the hill, and claim our spot before the lights went down, and Dave entertained us for a few hours. Who knows what he said in his typical mumbling in between songs- we were too far back on the lawn to ascertain clearly. We were however, in a great spot to get a contact high from all of the weed being smoked in any direction you turned! There’s something great about the concert culture that allows people from all walks of life to become collective friends for a night as we share a passion for our band of choice. It helps too when there’s that UK connection that makes the bond even stronger! Example- we met a starwood parking attendant in the lot who was from Paducha, KY and a UK fan, one of Lisa’s friends was a UK fan from Mayfield, KY, and a guy from Lousiville that had been a Delt at UK offered us Doritos from his bag while we waited in a long line of traffic to get out of the concert venue!
Dave did not disappoint, doing an even blend of new, unreleased songs, old stuff, and songs from his latest album.
The Setlist:
Don't Drink the Water
Dreamgirl
Hunger for the Great Light
When the World Ends
Shotgun
The Idea Of You
Crush
You Might Die Trying
So Much To Say
Anyone Seen the Bridge?
Too Much
Where Are You Going
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
Can't Stop
Louisiana Bayou
Ants Marching
Encore:
Pig
Stay
And what outing would be complete without a Lana-ism? While attempting to do the sarah Scott W-O-W with her mouth and fingers, Lana accidentally spelled out V-O-V instead. Just a few fingers short. Wow... we only laughed at her a little.
Lisa, Lana, Keeli, and myself hopped into Thomas the Avenger on Wednesday night and made our way out to Shady-och and the Starwood Ampitheater in just enough time to miss all of the opener (Pat Green- not mourning the loss on this one) but find a group of Lisa’s college friends in the top center of the hill, and claim our spot before the lights went down, and Dave entertained us for a few hours. Who knows what he said in his typical mumbling in between songs- we were too far back on the lawn to ascertain clearly. We were however, in a great spot to get a contact high from all of the weed being smoked in any direction you turned! There’s something great about the concert culture that allows people from all walks of life to become collective friends for a night as we share a passion for our band of choice. It helps too when there’s that UK connection that makes the bond even stronger! Example- we met a starwood parking attendant in the lot who was from Paducha, KY and a UK fan, one of Lisa’s friends was a UK fan from Mayfield, KY, and a guy from Lousiville that had been a Delt at UK offered us Doritos from his bag while we waited in a long line of traffic to get out of the concert venue!Dave did not disappoint, doing an even blend of new, unreleased songs, old stuff, and songs from his latest album.
The Setlist:
Don't Drink the Water
Dreamgirl
Hunger for the Great Light
When the World Ends
Shotgun
The Idea Of You
Crush
You Might Die Trying
So Much To Say
Anyone Seen the Bridge?
Too Much
Where Are You Going
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
Can't Stop
Louisiana Bayou
Ants Marching
Encore:
Pig
Stay
And what outing would be complete without a Lana-ism? While attempting to do the sarah Scott W-O-W with her mouth and fingers, Lana accidentally spelled out V-O-V instead. Just a few fingers short. Wow... we only laughed at her a little.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
too bad it Wasn't Bryan Adams!
I'm sure many of you will get an eyefull on MA's blog about this, since she is the real Ryan Adams fan here, but tonight's show was just too crappy to let just one blog have the honor of trashing it. Maury, MA, and I went to the Ryman tonight to see Ryan Adams (yes, that's Ryan and not Bryan- not the same guy who sings Summer of 69- remember that- it's important later!). I sort of went as a last minute replacement for Mason who had to be out of town on business since I am a lover of music and like to find new artists. Ryan Adams isn't new by any stretch of the imagination, but he always seems to be flying under the radar so I decided it was time to check him out. For the past few weeks I have been listening to some of his stuff, trying to prepare myself for the concert. Tonight it was go-time.
First, the 3 of us met up after work and went to Blackstone Brewery for dinner. 2 out of our 3 meals were bad, and when I say bad, I do not mean that the food was just so-so, I mean that MA's pizza was inedible until she doctored it up with extra tomatoes, mozerella, and olive oil, and the only thing roasted in my roasted tomato soup was the campbells soup can on the stove before they poured it into a bowl and sat it on my table. No worries though- we were pumped to see Ryan Adams.
You may not know his stuff. If you like country music, you will recognize him as the songwriter for Tim McGraw's latest single, "Stars Go Blue," or you might recall one of Ryan's songs being on the Elizabethtown soundtrack- neither of which he played tonight. In fact, most everything he played was unrecognizable because there was so much ear-splitting gyuitar distortion going on that it made it difficult to appreciate any of the true moments of greatness in his music. As was apparent by the audience sing-along participation, the accoustic guitar-driven "Oh My Sweet Carolina" was his best song by far. As you'll see from MA's blog, Ryan pretty much has 3 distinct sounds- the moody, folky accoustic stuff, the americana country, and the heavy metal drug-induced rock.
I would not wish to presume that our rockstar was under the influence of any foreign substance, but seriously, I don't see how he could have put on white platform shoes if he were in his right mind, nor argue with audience members (who eventually got kicked out for a smart-alec request that Ryan play "Summer of 69!"), or go off in unintelligle conversations with himself about waffle house, yachts, or his nether regions smelling like an onion factory. It grosses me out just thinking about it. The singer throwing out the audience member was by far more entertaining than most anything he played, and I think everyone there was just waiting for the drama to unfold, since Ryan allegedly kicked someone out of the Ryman the last time he played there too!
I wish I could have finished this blog the other night after the show when I was so fired up about having sat (and stood) through such a disapointing show, but the internet was acting up. How in the heck does this guy get away with a crap set list like that and still sell out the Ryman? My friends tell me that this show was not a good representation of Ryan's best work, but my thought is, if he doesn't think any better of his other music, then why should I pay to take a chance and see him again? Overall, I'll stay away from all the heavy rock stuff and continue to listen to his accoustic and alt-country stuff, but I would never go see that pretentious Bryan-Adams-wannabe again!
First, the 3 of us met up after work and went to Blackstone Brewery for dinner. 2 out of our 3 meals were bad, and when I say bad, I do not mean that the food was just so-so, I mean that MA's pizza was inedible until she doctored it up with extra tomatoes, mozerella, and olive oil, and the only thing roasted in my roasted tomato soup was the campbells soup can on the stove before they poured it into a bowl and sat it on my table. No worries though- we were pumped to see Ryan Adams.
You may not know his stuff. If you like country music, you will recognize him as the songwriter for Tim McGraw's latest single, "Stars Go Blue," or you might recall one of Ryan's songs being on the Elizabethtown soundtrack- neither of which he played tonight. In fact, most everything he played was unrecognizable because there was so much ear-splitting gyuitar distortion going on that it made it difficult to appreciate any of the true moments of greatness in his music. As was apparent by the audience sing-along participation, the accoustic guitar-driven "Oh My Sweet Carolina" was his best song by far. As you'll see from MA's blog, Ryan pretty much has 3 distinct sounds- the moody, folky accoustic stuff, the americana country, and the heavy metal drug-induced rock.
I would not wish to presume that our rockstar was under the influence of any foreign substance, but seriously, I don't see how he could have put on white platform shoes if he were in his right mind, nor argue with audience members (who eventually got kicked out for a smart-alec request that Ryan play "Summer of 69!"), or go off in unintelligle conversations with himself about waffle house, yachts, or his nether regions smelling like an onion factory. It grosses me out just thinking about it. The singer throwing out the audience member was by far more entertaining than most anything he played, and I think everyone there was just waiting for the drama to unfold, since Ryan allegedly kicked someone out of the Ryman the last time he played there too!
I wish I could have finished this blog the other night after the show when I was so fired up about having sat (and stood) through such a disapointing show, but the internet was acting up. How in the heck does this guy get away with a crap set list like that and still sell out the Ryman? My friends tell me that this show was not a good representation of Ryan's best work, but my thought is, if he doesn't think any better of his other music, then why should I pay to take a chance and see him again? Overall, I'll stay away from all the heavy rock stuff and continue to listen to his accoustic and alt-country stuff, but I would never go see that pretentious Bryan-Adams-wannabe again!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
To Birmingham & Back
So Lana and I were spontaneous for a change! She called me last Monday around 3 o'clock that afternoon and said that she had 2 free tickets to go see Michael Buble' in Birmingham, an invite to a cocktail party beforehand, and the chance to meet Michael Buble'. A friend of hers had tix but couldn't go at the last minute. Now we all know how far in advance I book myself- I just made lunch plans for Thursday, plans on Saturday day and night, and posb Tuesday night plans (Can we go see Pirates then, Ari?) and that's just this week- so it was a big deal for me to plan the day before to drive to Birmingham on a whim. I think this counts as real spontaneity and not planned spontaneity, but you decide.
Tuesday came and Lana picked me up from work at 2:30 and we were on our way to B'ham. She and I just kept laughing because we were so giddy about a) being off work early b) being spontaneous and c) seeing Michael Buble'. The funny thing is, I wouldn't have considered myself a fan of his before going to this show. He came to Nashville a few months ago and I didn't care enough about him to go see him then, so it baffled some that I would take off randomly to Alabama to see him. But it was the thrill of the trip that got me pumped. It's very exhilarating to be spontaneous- I think I should try it more often!
Lana had the whole trip mapped out on Mapquest AND Rand McNally and even had it highlighted in pink! I was totally impressed. Now the funny part came when I got to looking at her handwritten directions from her friend who gave us the tix. Amidst phrases like "pricing" and "Renaissance person" (don't ask!) was the word "happy" written down. I immediately burst into laughter at Lana's spacey notes to herself, and I'm sure she had just communicated in writing her emotion at the time she was on the phone making notes to herself!
Some other funny moments:
*a tour through Ardmore, AL to get a snack at Sonic
*taking 30 minutes to primp and get ready in a nasty gas station bathroom
*Lana thinking that a man I was talking to at the cocktail party was trying to sell us vacuum cleaners, when really, he was just from Hoover
*being shushed by a 65 year old grandma in front of us during the uber-boring opening act- seriously- every song was slow and Canadian-folky, and at one point an entire row in front of us stood up to let some late comers in, and I whispered to Lana, that's probably the most people that have ever stood up for them at a concert, and then after the song was finished the singer quipped that at first she thought they were getting a standing ovation, and then she chastised the couple for coming in late!
*Michael Buble' doing Blue Steele!!!
*Singing along with Dave Matthews doing our best Dave impersonations
This guy was a great entertainer. He's very sexy, and he moves well on stage, plus he's hilarious! He made several jokes to all the guys in the audience who got drug there by their girlfriends. "I just pump air into the tires," he said. "You get to ride the bicycle home."
We had a blast laughing and enjoying the trip. I'm sure I'm leaving out some blogworthy, funny moments, but it's been a week since we went, and I've been too busy till now to blog about it! We didn't get to meet Michael unfortunately, but Lana did get an autographed picture, so it was a nice keepsake from the roadtrip!
Tuesday came and Lana picked me up from work at 2:30 and we were on our way to B'ham. She and I just kept laughing because we were so giddy about a) being off work early b) being spontaneous and c) seeing Michael Buble'. The funny thing is, I wouldn't have considered myself a fan of his before going to this show. He came to Nashville a few months ago and I didn't care enough about him to go see him then, so it baffled some that I would take off randomly to Alabama to see him. But it was the thrill of the trip that got me pumped. It's very exhilarating to be spontaneous- I think I should try it more often!
Lana had the whole trip mapped out on Mapquest AND Rand McNally and even had it highlighted in pink! I was totally impressed. Now the funny part came when I got to looking at her handwritten directions from her friend who gave us the tix. Amidst phrases like "pricing" and "Renaissance person" (don't ask!) was the word "happy" written down. I immediately burst into laughter at Lana's spacey notes to herself, and I'm sure she had just communicated in writing her emotion at the time she was on the phone making notes to herself!Some other funny moments:
*a tour through Ardmore, AL to get a snack at Sonic
*taking 30 minutes to primp and get ready in a nasty gas station bathroom
*Lana thinking that a man I was talking to at the cocktail party was trying to sell us vacuum cleaners, when really, he was just from Hoover
*being shushed by a 65 year old grandma in front of us during the uber-boring opening act- seriously- every song was slow and Canadian-folky, and at one point an entire row in front of us stood up to let some late comers in, and I whispered to Lana, that's probably the most people that have ever stood up for them at a concert, and then after the song was finished the singer quipped that at first she thought they were getting a standing ovation, and then she chastised the couple for coming in late!
*Michael Buble' doing Blue Steele!!!
*Singing along with Dave Matthews doing our best Dave impersonations
This guy was a great entertainer. He's very sexy, and he moves well on stage, plus he's hilarious! He made several jokes to all the guys in the audience who got drug there by their girlfriends. "I just pump air into the tires," he said. "You get to ride the bicycle home."
We had a blast laughing and enjoying the trip. I'm sure I'm leaving out some blogworthy, funny moments, but it's been a week since we went, and I've been too busy till now to blog about it! We didn't get to meet Michael unfortunately, but Lana did get an autographed picture, so it was a nice keepsake from the roadtrip!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Cirque du Snore'
Last night I took Mom to see Cirque du Soleil Delirium as a birthday present. Rhonda and Em also went, so I'm curious to hear their take on the show. I'll admit, I was interested to see what all they hype was about with these multimedia performances, but I didn't know much about it. I knew there would be music, lights, and acrobatics, along with over-the-top costumes. I could not have predicted however how new-agey it would really be, and how the droning drum beats and unitelligable lyrics would put me straight to sleep! I'd nod off to a blue screen with a bright blue orb hovering over the stage and wake up to have people floating in white fabric and twirling around. Then I'd go back to sleep and awaken to find a woman spinning multiple hoola hoops around her. The 4 guys doing the acrobatics and gymnastics that I awoke in the middle of was pretty amazing but my eyelids were so heavy by that point in the show that it was pointless to try and act like I was paying attention so I just closed my eyes again! I bet that was seriously the single most expensive nap I have ever taken!
The opening act was enough to set the scene that I shoudl have realized what I was going to be in for that evening- a European singer/songwriter by the name of Nitza- as in- we are the Knights who say Niiiiitza!!! She gyrated and bellydanced while she yodeled to her mohawkwed percussionists and Citar player's music. I think I payed enough attention to give you a quick recap and impression of her performance:
"Thank you. Thank you. You are so kind (only because I know you are not leaving because you payed good money to see the main act...) My next song is called, this sounds like every other song I have performed so far."
At least after seeing this show I can answer the burning question that everyone has been wanting to know- what happened to Scary and Baby Spice? They or their Bizaro-twins are apparently touring with this Cirque production!
The opening act was enough to set the scene that I shoudl have realized what I was going to be in for that evening- a European singer/songwriter by the name of Nitza- as in- we are the Knights who say Niiiiitza!!! She gyrated and bellydanced while she yodeled to her mohawkwed percussionists and Citar player's music. I think I payed enough attention to give you a quick recap and impression of her performance:"Thank you. Thank you. You are so kind (only because I know you are not leaving because you payed good money to see the main act...) My next song is called, this sounds like every other song I have performed so far."
At least after seeing this show I can answer the burning question that everyone has been wanting to know- what happened to Scary and Baby Spice? They or their Bizaro-twins are apparently touring with this Cirque production!
Monday, August 30, 2004
The day of john mayer
Alright already! I know it's been almost a week since my last post, but contrary to popular belief, I do have a job where I have to do work. I'll bet you all thought I had skipped town to tour with my fiancee John Mayer didn't you? Well, I'm not saying I didn't try to make that happen, but it was just not in the cards for me last Friday. That said, the day of John Mayer has come and gone. All that anticipation for one long day, and now what do I have to look forward to? I guess the Hurricane in the Caribbean will keep my attention for at least a few days. I always love seeing Jeff Morrow's reports on the incoming storm :) . So, our fun began on Thursday night with a mini slumber party with me, Rhonda, Lana, and Stockwell. The girls aren't much of morning people, so we decided it would be safer and easier if we were all in one place to get down to Tower Records for Friday morning's in store performance. And Stockwell just wouldn't leave the bed, so we had a 66-pound Bassadore crowding me and Lana all night. Rhonda got the daybed (RL did you have enough pillows?) 5 am hit and I went into Mom-mode, dragging myself out of bed and into the shower- (who gets up before the sun is out, honestly? I don't recommend it.) and then I had the task of waking up Lana and Rhonda. When all was said and done, we waited for about 5 hours to see John, and thank goodness I planned ahead so we had a blanket to sit on, snacks to munch on, and music to listen to while we waited. The in-store "show" was 4 songs masquerading as a performance, and I thought I was going to blow a gasket at the couple in front of me in their late 30s taking picture after picture of John during the show. They were right in my sight line. Now I'm as big a fan as the next gal, but come on, how many pictures of John playing the guitar, making the same painful, contorted face do you really need? (Here's one of John Mayer singing Come Back to Bed... and here's another of John playing Come Back to Bed... and looky here, here's yet another picture of John playing, you guessed it, Come back to Bed.) Next comes the part where we were herded like cattle through Tower Records to get our beloved hero's autograph. I am sad to report that it does not look like I will be quitting my job and touring with my soon-to-be hubby John anytime soon because there wasn't much time for a proposal. I kept trying to tell myself that he is just a person as the anticipation built while in line waiting to meet him, but the angel and devil on my shoulder were battling it out, and it went something like this:
angel: he's just a guy, Amanda.
devil: yes, but he is a famous rock star.
angel: but you enjoy his music- he is a talented musician- you like his use of 7th chords
devil: and he's attractive, rich, and famous
angel: not that that matters- I would like him just as much if he was a nobody
devil: sure you would...
All I could do was stand there grinning stupidly at the kid. I did manage to tell him my name when he asked, but that was about it. Oh- and I told him Welcome to Nashvegas- I could have kicked myself for that brilliant exchange. It was just very surreal to be in such close proximity to someone that I admire and respect so much, but it all happened so fast. We waited so long and then it was over. The three of us girls discussed this over a quick lunch at Logan's and then went back to my house and crashed for an hour and a half. Once again, I got to be the responsible one and get up first to wake the other two. (Apparently Rhonda's not an afternoon person either). We got ready all over again and headed out to Starwood for the concert. We arrived early to beat traffic, but behaved ourselves much more so than Lana & I did at the Dave Matthews Debacle. Maroon 5 was pretty good. The lead singer is the only band member with any personality and energy, but as a whole they were much better than they were in February when when Rhonda Lu and I saw them in Memfiss. John of course was spectacular, though a little self-indulgent on the blues numbers. Plus he got on some political kick that left Lana and I doing the whole sorority girl, high pitched HA-UH?? (as in, huuuhh, I don't get it?!) Once he stepped down off his political soapbox though he played one of my all-time favorite songs as an encore- Comfortable. I've decided this one goes in my top five all-time favorite songs, and this was the icing on the cake of a beautiful, albeit very long, day.
angel: he's just a guy, Amanda.
devil: yes, but he is a famous rock star.
angel: but you enjoy his music- he is a talented musician- you like his use of 7th chords
devil: and he's attractive, rich, and famous
angel: not that that matters- I would like him just as much if he was a nobody
devil: sure you would...
All I could do was stand there grinning stupidly at the kid. I did manage to tell him my name when he asked, but that was about it. Oh- and I told him Welcome to Nashvegas- I could have kicked myself for that brilliant exchange. It was just very surreal to be in such close proximity to someone that I admire and respect so much, but it all happened so fast. We waited so long and then it was over. The three of us girls discussed this over a quick lunch at Logan's and then went back to my house and crashed for an hour and a half. Once again, I got to be the responsible one and get up first to wake the other two. (Apparently Rhonda's not an afternoon person either). We got ready all over again and headed out to Starwood for the concert. We arrived early to beat traffic, but behaved ourselves much more so than Lana & I did at the Dave Matthews Debacle. Maroon 5 was pretty good. The lead singer is the only band member with any personality and energy, but as a whole they were much better than they were in February when when Rhonda Lu and I saw them in Memfiss. John of course was spectacular, though a little self-indulgent on the blues numbers. Plus he got on some political kick that left Lana and I doing the whole sorority girl, high pitched HA-UH?? (as in, huuuhh, I don't get it?!) Once he stepped down off his political soapbox though he played one of my all-time favorite songs as an encore- Comfortable. I've decided this one goes in my top five all-time favorite songs, and this was the icing on the cake of a beautiful, albeit very long, day.
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